Sanitation: Abuloma Sand Dredging Worries Authority

The Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority (RSESA) has condemned the unwholesome activities of sand dredgers in Abuloma Community in the Port Harcourt Local Government area of the state.

The Sole Administrator of the Authority, Mr Ade Adeogun who voiced the displeasure during last Saturday’s environmental sanitation exercise said the practice whereby the operators left a large stretch of sand on the road from the jetty was unacceptable.

He said that efforts to meet with sand dealers have so far been unsuccessful as the operators do not have an association.

The Sole Administrator who spoke through the Authority’s imagemaker, Mr Olalekon Ige said the authority has since mandated the commercial department to find out ways to enable the  authority meet with the sand dredgers.

According to Ige, government spent a lot of money on the Abuloma road even as he said the sand droppings on the road was met and had negative impact on the road.

He further explained that if the sand was dry the negative impact on the road would have been minimal.

“The sand is still met so as they move some of them will be falling on the road and cause damage to the road.

“Definitely the authority will meet with Abuloma Community soonest on the issue to enable us address the issue”, he said.

On the defaulters he said, “certainly, we have not less than 90 defaulters and they are still appearing before the sanitation court”.

He said the first group of 10 were fined N3000 each and that some may not be fined while some have to be set free.

“Remember that even under the sanitation law, you give consideration to a certain set of people. “We give consideration to those who are sick, we give consideration to pregnant women and such people are allowed to go free” he said.

The authority’s spokesman further said some culprits were given community service punishment by way of either sweeping the authority’s compound or at any other location.

On the challenges facing Ikoku motor spare parts market, he said even though the authority has severally considered  closing the market, the economic aspect should not be overlooked.

Regrettably, he said the traders, have no central union to enable the authority deal with it but stated that “the Sole Administrator has said severally that if the people were not willing to co-operate it would be left with no option than to close it down”.

On the non-chalant attitude of residents of Azikiwe Street he said the authority plans to meet with them as they were known to be engaged in football games during sanitation exercises.